Kraken
"A kraken dreams of casting its tentacles into the heavens and strangling that which birthed it, and when its dream exceeds its reach, it settles for the occasional passing ship." —From Night of the Kraken Cult by Malfeore Serrang, pirate-mage of Tethyr Beneath the waves, the kraken sleeps for untold ages, awaiting some fell sign or calling. Land-born mortals who sail the open sea forget the reasons their ancestors dreaded the ocean, even as the races of the deep ignore strange gaps in their histories when their civilizations nearly vanished after the appearance of the tentacled horror. Leviathans of Legend. At the beginning of time, krakens served as fierce warriors of the gods. When the gods’ wars ended, the krakens shrugged free of their servitude, never again to be bound by other beings. Whole nations quake in fear when the kraken emerges from its dark demesne, and even in the middle of the deepest oceans, storms rise or abate according to its will. The kraken is a primeval force that obliterates the greatest achievements of civilization as if they were castles in the sand. Its devastating attacks can destroy ocean trade and halt communication between coastal cities. An ominous darkness presages a kraken’s attack, and a cloud of inky poison colors the water around it. Galleons and warships vanish when its tentacles uncoil from the deep, the kraken breaking their masts like kindling before drawing down ships and crew. Not even landlocked surface dwellers are safe from a kraken’s wrath. Krakens can breathe air as easily as water, and some crawl up rivers to nest in freshwater lakes, destroying cities and towns along the way. Adventurers tell of these monsters lairing in the ruins of lakeside citadels, their tentacles twined around leaning towers of disintegrating stone. Mortal Foes. Some krakens are virtual gods, with cults and minions spread across sea and land. Others are allied with Olhydra, the evil Princess of Elemental Water, and use her cultists to enforce their will on land and sea. A kraken pleased with its worshipers can becalm rough seas and bring a bounteous harvest of fish to the faithful. However, the devious mind of a kraken is ancient beyond reckoning, and is ultimately bent to the ruination of all things. A Kraken’s Lair A kraken lives in dark depths, usually a sunken rift or a cavern filled with detritus, treasure, and wrecked ships. Lair Actions On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the kraken takes a lair action to cause one of the following magical effects: * A strong current moves through the kraken’s lair. Each creature within 60 feet of the kraken must succeed on a DC 23 Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 60 feet away from the kraken. On a success, the creature is pushed 10 feet away from the kraken. * Creatures in the water within 60 feet of the kraken have vulnerability to lightning damage until initiative count 20 on the next round. * The water in the kraken’s lair becomes electrically charged. All creatures within 120 feet of the kraken must succeed on a DC 23 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Regional Effects The region containing a kraken’s lair is warped by the creature’s blasphemous presence, creating the following magical effects: * The kraken can alter the weather at will in a 6-mile radius centered on its lair. The effect is identical to the control weather spell. * Water elementals coalesce within 6 miles of the lair. These elementals can’t leave the water and have Intelligence and Charisma scores of 1 (−5). * Aquatic creatures within 6 miles of the lair that have an Intelligence score of 2 or lower are charmed by the kraken and aggressive toward intruders in the area. When the kraken dies, all of these regional effects fade immediately. Traits Amphibious: The kraken can breathe air and water. Freedom of Movement: The kraken ignores difficult terrain, and magical effects can't reduce its speed or cause it to be restrained. It can spend 5 feet of movement to escape from nonmagical restraints or being grappled. Siege Monster: The kraken deals double damage to objects and structures. Category:Monstrosities Category:Monster Category:Lore